Cosmetic applicator with transparent container portion

ABSTRACT

The invention contemplates a propel-repel container for cosmetic or the like substance wherein the color of the substance may be externally viewable at a location near the point of cosmetic-substance support, without requiring the container to be opened or the substance to be propelled from its retracted position within the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to propel-repel containers of the variety in whichuse of transparent material enables the shade or content of the productto be displayed to the consumer at the point of purchase.

Present cosmetic containers of the character indicated commonly use aclear cover to display the shade or other nature of the containercontents to the prospective customer, without requiring the container tobe opened for customer inspection. But such configurations exhibitcertain disadvantages, including color fading due to relatively greatlight-exposure of the cosmetic substance, particularly at the region ofpresumably initial use by the customer. In addition, such containersrequire such exposure of cosmetic substance a considerable distancebeyond the top edge of the casing, thus leaving the cosmetic substancevulnerable to "clipping" or breakage. Further, such containers generallylack an expensive or "quality look", they are prone to accidentalsmearing of cosmetic substance on the inside of the cover, and there isa lack of protection of contents while in self-service counter displays.

BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

It an an object of the invention to provide an improved containerconstruction of the character indicated, avoiding or very substantiallyreducing the disadvantages of prior constructions.

A specific object is to provide such a container wherein viewinginspection for contents can be limited to a relatively small regionbetween ends of the container when in closed condition.

Another specific object is to provide such a container wherein both endsof the closed container may be opaque and lend themselves to arelatively wide variety of options for decorative contouring, color andfinish, all without impairing color evaluation of contents for a fullyclosed container.

A further specific object is to meet the above objects with aconstruction in which such color inspection of contents is an availablefeature as long as usable product remains in the container.

A general object is to meet the indicated objects with a constructioninvolving minimum numbers or complexity of parts, simple and fool-proofoperation, and inherent low cost.

The foregoing objects and other features are realized in a preferredembodiment in which the inner one of two overlapped rotatable tubularmembers is of transparent material and projects beyond the end of theouter one of these members. A carrier for cosmetic or the like substanceis movable within the tubular members via cam reaction upon theirrelative rotation. The arrangement is such that for a retracted positionof the carrier, virtually all usable cosmetic or the like substanceprojects beyond the end of the outer tubular member but is enshrouded bythe projecting transparent end of the inner tubular member. Finally, aclosure cap over the projecting end of the inner tubular member can bethus fitted only to an extent short of adjacency with the outer tubularmember, thus leaving a relatively narrow axially central band of thetransparent material exposed near the point of cosmetic-substancesupport by the carrier when in retracted position.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be illustratively describedin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views in elevation for a container of the invention,respectively shown for fully closed and open condition; and

FIG. 3 is a collection of four views in elevation, to the same enlargedscale, showing various separated parts of the container of FIGS. 1 and2, for different relative positions thereof.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention is shown inapplication to a container of the propel-repel variety and comprisinginner and outer relatively rotatable tubular members 10-11, havinginternal propulsion coaction with a carrier cup 12 adapted to support apomade 13 of cosmetic or the like substance for upward projection, afterremoval of a cupped closure cap 14. The outer tubular member or base 11may also be cupped, and an axially generally central band 15 of theinner tubular member 10 is externally exposed between spaced but nearbyopen ends of the cupped base and cap parts 11-14, when the container isfully closed, and with the carrier cup 12 in its retracted position; itis an important feature of the invention that for this closed andretracted condition, the color of the pomade 13 is viewable through anannular window, by reason of at least band 15 being of clear colorlessplastic.

The parts thus far identified are shown in longitudinally correlated butlaterally spaced array in the several component drawings of FIG. 3.FIGS. 3a, b, c, respectively depict the relative longitudinalpositioning of the base member 11, carrier cup 12, and the inner tubularmember or sleeve 10, for the carrier-retracted situation; and FIGS. 3a,d, c, respectively depict the corresponding relation of the same partsfor the carrier-projected situation. Each of these three parts 10-11-12may be a single injection-molded piece of suitable plastic, the parts11-12 being preferably opaque, and the part 10 being at leasttranslucent and preferably of clear colorless plastic.

As shown, the base member 11 is a tube open at its upper end and closedat its lower end, and with two interlaced helical cam grooves 16-16',for propulsion engagement with diametrically opposed cam-followerprojections 17-17' forming part of carrier 12. The radial depth of camgrooves 16-16' substantially matches the radial depth of a counterbore18 at the open end of the bore of member 11 so that grooves 16-16'communicate axially with but terminate at intersection with counterbore18. Finally, axially retaining means in the form of a circumferentialgroove 19 in counterbore 18 extends to a slightly greater maximum radiusthan counterbore 18. It is indicated that the material and dimensions ofmember 11 are selected so that the injection-molded part is strippablefrom the mold, particularly at 19.

The inner tubular member 10 is shown to comprise an elongate lowersleeve portion 20 having two diametrically opposed straight cam slots21, with detent-protected lateral offsets 22-23 at the respectiveretraction-limiting and propulsion-limiting ends of the range D₁ ofcoaction with cam followers 17-17'. Sleeve portion 20 is of reduceddiameter, compared to band 15, so as to be smoothly journaled in thebore of member 11 and to present band 15 at substantially the outerdiameter of member 11, for ease of manual grasp, for rotary actuationpurposes. Near juncture with band 15, the sleeve portion 20 includes acircumferential land 24 of rectangular section to substantially fill andalso to have running clearance in the counterbore 18, and acircumferentially continuous radially outward bead 25 on land 24 hassnap-action engagement with groove 19 to retain an assembled relationbetween the parts 10-11.

The carrier cup 12 is unusually elongate such that the distance D₂ bywhich its cam followers 17-17' are axially offset from itspomade-supporting end 26 is sufficient to assure substantial registry ofthe pomade-supporting end 26 with the open end of base member 11, andhence with the lower end of band 15, when the carrier 12 is in itsretracted position. An integrally formed bulkhead 27 provides bottomingsupport for insertion of pomade 13 via end 26, and plural ribs 28 in thebore of this end 26 provide enhanced directionally stabilized retentionof the inserted pomade.

The inner tubular member or sleeve 10 is completed by an unusual upwardprojection or shell 29 formed integrally with band 15 as a reducedextension thereof, and shell 29 will be understood to receive a suitablefriction fit to the bore of cap 14, upon closure, to the point ofabutment with band 15. The bore 30 of member 10 extends continuously forits length within sleeve portion 20, band 15 and shell projection 29.The full extent of projection 29 is a distance D₃ above the upper camoffset 23, and D₃ is preferably slightly less than D₂, so that, as shownin FIG. 2, the upper end 26 of carrier 12 is slightly beyond theprojection 29, for the carrier-elevated position. This relationship willbe understood to assure a piloting exposure of the carrier for cleanpomade-loading guidance, i.e., free of possible contact with projection29.

The described construction will be seen to have achieved all statedobjects. The clear band 15 provides pomade viewing at all times ofcontainer closure and carrier retraction, and this viewing accessapplies for the shortest or most spent condition of a used and stillusable pomade. The three parts 10-11-12 represent the irreducibleminimum for a propel-repel container, and no unusual die requirementsare imposed to increase complexity or expense of molding dies. The basicsimple outer forms (contours) disclosed for parts 11-14 will beunderstood to indicate that these parts may be externally decorated andcontoured to achieve a very wide variety of overall appearances, servingthe most demanding requirements of a variety of discriminating customers(cosmetic houses).

While the invention has been described in detail for a preferred form,it will be understood that modifications may be made without departurefrom the claimed scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a container of the variety in which a carriercup adapted to support cosmetic or the like substance at one end hascam-follower tracking engagement with axial propulsion cams of inner andouter rotatable tubular members, the outer tubular member being open atone end and having a cupped base closing its other end, and the innertubular member being a sleeve including a portion projecting beyond theopen end of said outer member to provide manual access for relativerotation of said members, the improvement in which said carrier cup ischaracterized by such an axial distance between the cam-followerlocation and said one end that in the retracted position of said carriercup (a) said one end of said carrier cup is at substantially the openend of said outer member, and (b) the manually accessible projectingportion of said sleeve is translucent and enshrouds substantially theentire usable length of cosmetic or the like substance carried by saidcarrier cup.
 2. The improvement of claim 1, in which said sleeve is oftransparent plastic material, whereby colored cosmetic or the likesubstance may be to an extent viewable via the manually accessibleprojecting portion of said sleeve, for a retracted condition of saidcarrier cup.
 3. The improvement of claim 1, in which said manuallyaccessible projecting portion of said sleeve comprises a first radiallyenlarged circumferential band adjacent the open end of said base member,and a second radially reduced shell projecting axially beyond said bandto an extent sufficient to substantially completely overlap cosmeticsubstance when said carrier cup is in its retracted position.
 4. Theimprovement of claim 3, in which said container includes a cuppedclosure cap having removable friction fit over said shell and toadjacency with said band, said sleeve being of transparent plasticmaterial, whereby in the closed condition of said container, coloredcosmetic or the like substance within the container may be viewed forcolor via said band and near the base end of the cosmetic substance, allwithout closure-cap removal.
 5. The improvement of claim 1, in whichsaid container includes a cupped closure cap having removable frictionfit over the projecting end of said sleeve, said sleeve and cap havingcoacting abutment formations to so limit the axial extent of said fitthat in the fully applied position of said cap there remains a region ofsleeve exposure between said cap and the nearby end of said outertubular member.
 6. The improvement of claim 5, in which said closure capis opaque.
 7. A cosmetic container comprising inner and outer relativelyrotatable tubular members, a carrier cup within said members and havingan open end for support of cosmetic or the like substance, propulsioncam formations in said members, radially outward cam-follower means onsaid carrier cup engaging said cam formations for axial propulsion ofsaid carrier cup upon relative rotation of said members, means coactingbetween said members to retain their axially overlapped relation, saidcam formations and follower means including formations limiting axialpropulsion between a retracted position and a forward position whereincosmetic substance is projected beyond an axial end of said container,said inner tubular member including a transparent end formationextending axially beyond said outer tubular member at the end throughwhich cosmetic substance is projectable, said open end of said carriercup when in said retracted position being at substantially the axiallocation at which the transparent formation of said inner tubular memberis exposed beyond said outer tubular member, and a cupped closure caphaving removable closing fit to the axially extending end of said innertubular member, said closure cap and said inner tubular member havingcoacting formations to limit closure cap placement to a point short oftotal axial overlap of said transparent end formation, whereby for aclosed container and fully retracted carrier cup, cosmetic or the likesubstance carried by said cup will be externally viewable.
 8. Thecontainer of claim 7, in which said outer tubular member is an elongatecup with an internally grooved cam formation.
 9. The container of claim5, in which the axially retaining means of said outer tubular member isa circumferentially continuous radially inwardly open groove in theinner wall thereof and near the open end of said inner tubular member.10. The container of claim 9, in which the maximum radial extent of saidaxial-retaining groove exceeds the maximum radial dimension of thebottom of said grooved cam formation.
 11. The container of claim 9, inwhich the open end of said outer tubular member has a counterbore, saidaxially retaining groove being in said counterbore, and the bottom ofsaid grooved cam formation being of maximum radial dimension which is atleast no greater than that of the ungrooved part of said counterbore,said grooved cam formation being axially open to said counterbore. 12.The container of claim 11, in which said axially retaining means of saidinner tubular member comprises a circumferentially continuous radiallyoutward bead having snap-fitted engagement with said circumferentialgroove.
 13. The container of claim 12, in which said bead projectsradially from an axially local radially outward band formation of saidinner tubular member, said band formation being of sectional dimensionsto be received with close clearance in said counterbore.
 14. Thecontainer of claim 7, in which said inner tubular member is an elongateinjection-molded sleeve of transparent plastic material with a slottedcam formation.